Making Friends and Helping Communities in East Africa
Outreach Programs
Group Letter | Pen Pal
Group Letter
Instructions for teachers:
Have your students use the printable form or have them create their own
as a computer lab project. Just be sure that the form includes the same info: “To
My Friend in Kenya”, Date, Name, School, Age, Grade, and Gender.
Be sure that they include their full name. Currently letters are being sent
to Primary Schools in the Machakos district of Kenya, home of the Kamba.
If you are tying this project in with a unit on Kenya/Africa, please do not have them write what they have learned about Kenya/Africa. Your students should write about themselves, i.e. family, hobbies, favorite foods, etc.
Students may attach a photo, draw a picture on the back of the letter and decorate with stickers and cut outs. Students may not send gifts of any kind. If you and your students want to help out a school please go to School Assistance.
Send completed letters to:
Kenya Connect
P. O. Box 1244
Burtonsville, MD 20866
Kenya Connect will be responsible for all postage to and from Kenya as well as to your school. Your school is responsible for postage to Kenya Connect as well as any photocopying expenses.
Please note that mail to and from this region of the world is extremely slow. Replies to letters can take months.
Pen Pal
To start writing to your own personal pen pal, please include the following information along with your letter:
-Your Name, Mailing Address and Zip Code.
- Your Age, Grade in School, and Gender.
- The age and gender of the pen pal that you would like to write to.
Send to:
Kenya Connect
Pen Pal Club
P.O. Box 1244
Burtonsville,Maryland
20866
Some contents to include in your letter:
Personal information : parent's names and occupations, names and ages of your brothers and sisters, pets, hobbies, what your house/apartment looks like and the land surrounding it, what you look like, your birthday, any nickname you may have and it's meaning.
Cultural information : food, what languages you speak besides English, holidays you celebrate and religion you practice, music and dance, your ethnic background.
School information : name of your school and teacher(s), subjects you study, favorite teacher and subject, how you get to school, how many people there are in your class.
Photos : Feel free to send a photo along with your letter. You may want to explain it as well.
Gifts : Please note that no gifts are allowed to be sent.